The subject matter disclosed herein relates to gas turbine engines, and more specifically, to system and methods for maintaining certain gas turbine operational characteristics over the product life of a gas turbine engine.
Gas turbine engines generally include a compressor, a combustor, and a turbine. The compressor compresses air from an air intake, and subsequently directs the compressed air to the combustor. In the combustor, the compressed air received from the compressor is mixed with a fuel and is combusted to create combustion gases. The combustion gases are directed into the turbine. In the turbine, the combustion gases flow against and around turbine blades of the turbine, thereby driving rotation of the turbine and any external load. The external load may include an electrical generator. As the gas turbine engine operates, components may degrade and/or foul, resulting in reduced performance over the life of the system. The reduced performance may be in the form of reduced gas turbine engine output and/or efficiency and increased operating costs.